Dispatch Two: North to the Arctic Circle by Train in Norway, A Live Blog

It’s snowy, it’s cold… it’s awesome!

Norway is amazing in the wintertime – and we are planning to see as much of it as we can, by train!

Follow us LIVE as we discover fjords, master painters, breathtaking scenery, strange food, amazing animals on our way to our to our ultimate goal – the Arctic Circle and the Northern Lights… CONTINUE READING >>

It’s snowy, it’s cold… it’s awesome!

Norway is amazing in the wintertime – and we are planning to see as much of it as we can, by train!

Follow us LIVE as we discover fjords, master painters, breathtaking scenery, strange food, amazing animals on our way to our to our ultimate goal – the Arctic Circle and the Northern Lights… CONTINUE READING >>

Dispatch One: Amsterdam to the Top of the World by Train, A Live Blog

Are we crazy? It’s possible we’ve finally gone off the rails.

When Eurail contacted us to see if we’d like to take advantage of a 15-day rail pass, David the Train Nut’s pupils got wide and his answer was a resounding YES!

Veronica was all aboard too, and started dreaming of a wintertime jaunt to sunny Spain. David, however, had other plans. He suggested Scandinavia.

Veronica was not so onboard with this. Right. Let’s head north into the cold and dark. Why, pray tell? Then David said two words: Northern Lights.

That did it. Join us LIVE as we embark on a wintry expedition above the Arctic Circle… CONTINUE READING >>

Are we crazy? It’s possible we’ve finally gone off the rails.

When Eurail contacted us to see if we’d like to take advantage of a 15-day rail pass, David the Train Nut’s pupils got wide and his answer was a resounding YES!

Veronica was all aboard too, and started dreaming of a wintertime jaunt to sunny Spain. David, however, had other plans. He suggested Scandinavia.

Veronica was not so onboard with this. Right. Let’s head north into the cold and dark. Why, pray tell? Then David said two words: Northern Lights.

That did it. Join us LIVE as we embark on a wintry expedition above the Arctic Circle… CONTINUE READING >>

Fjords, Carnivorous Plants and Standing on the Earth’s Mantle in Newfoundland


Join your GypsyNesters as we trod upon the Earth’s mantle (bucket list item alert!), discover the breathtaking beauty of a fjord by water, dodge carnivorous plants, devour a traditional Jiggs Dinner, and frolic with massive amounts of butterflies!

Oh, and learn what a pudding sock… CONTINUE READING >> 



Join your GypsyNesters as we trod upon the Earth’s mantle (bucket list item alert!), discover the breathtaking beauty of a fjord by water, dodge carnivorous plants, devour a traditional Jiggs Dinner, and frolic with massive amounts of butterflies!

Oh, and learn what a pudding sock… CONTINUE READING >> 


A Tale of Two Flights

It was the best of planes, it was the worst of planes, that was our feeling after spending nearly thirty hours on two non-stop flights.

The first one, United flight 895, from Chicago to Hong Kong clocked in at sixteen hours. Back when… CONTINUE READING >> 

It was the best of planes, it was the worst of planes, that was our feeling after spending nearly thirty hours on two non-stop flights.

The first one, United flight 895, from Chicago to Hong Kong clocked in at sixteen hours. Back when… CONTINUE READING >> 

Up in the Air in Courmayeur, Italy

Where Italy, France and Switzerland converge sits the fairy tale town of Courmayeur. At the top of Italy’s Aosta valley, high in the Alps, literally in the shadow of Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc, the town has become one of Europe’s premier alpine getaways. Whimsical slate roofed structures are set amid the amazing views of the Dente del Gigante (Giant‘s Teeth).

Somehow David convinced Veronica that going on the Funivie Monte Bianco, a cable car that terrifyingly drags you STRAIGHT UP Monte Blanc was a good… CONTINUE READING >>

Where Italy, France and Switzerland converge sits the fairy tale town of Courmayeur. At the top of Italy’s Aosta valley, high in the Alps, literally in the shadow of Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc, the town has become one of Europe’s premier alpine getaways. Whimsical slate roofed structures are set amid the amazing views of the Dente del Gigante (Giant‘s Teeth).

Somehow David convinced Veronica that going on the Funivie Monte Bianco, a cable car that terrifyingly drags you STRAIGHT UP Monte Blanc was a good… CONTINUE READING >>

Glacier National Park from the Dome Car of Amtrak’s Empire Builder!


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Our snowy early morning trip had us glued to the windows of The Sightseer Lounge of The Empire Builder as we snaked our way through… CONTINUE READING >>


enlarge video

Our snowy early morning trip had us glued to the windows of The Sightseer Lounge of The Empire Builder as we snaked our way through… CONTINUE READING >>

What in the Sam Hill is a Yosemite?

OK, show of hands. How many of us first heard of Yosemite from Looney Tunes? C’mon, reach fer the sky fragnabbit! On those childhood Saturday mornings Yosemite Sam introduced us to the name but he had nothing to do with the National Park. Friz Freleng just liked the plumb western sound of California’s premier park for his loud-mouthed, sourdough, going-off-all-half-cocked, six-shootin’ little fella. Fifty-odd years of Saturdays later yer flea bitten GypsyNestin’ varmints finally met Sam’s namesake… CONTINUE READING >>
OK, show of hands. How many of us first heard of Yosemite from Looney Tunes? C’mon, reach fer the sky fragnabbit! On those childhood Saturday mornings Yosemite Sam introduced us to the name but he had nothing to do with the National Park. Friz Freleng just liked the plumb western sound of California’s premier park for his loud-mouthed, sourdough, going-off-all-half-cocked, six-shootin’ little fella. Fifty-odd years of Saturdays later yer flea bitten GypsyNestin’ varmints finally met Sam’s namesake… CONTINUE READING >>